Journal of Forestry · 1973 · 95 citations · 0 references
EngineeringEarth SciencesFire EcologyFire ManagementFire Protection EngineeringFire DynamicsFire ModelingFire SimulationFire Spread ProcessesFire WeatherFuel DynamicsDead Fuel CharacteristicsFire Control StrategiesFire Spread ModelsFire Threat AssessmentFiresFuel TreatmentFuel Treatment EffectsPost-fire Fuel Dynamics
Abstract A dynamic fuel model for the chaparral brush fields of southern California shows that (a) the fire threat for the first few years after a fire primarily is related to forbs and grasses; and (b) after 10 to 20 years, the brush fields will sustain very fast-spreading, high-intensity fires, depending upon the ratio of the live-to-dead fuel. The mathematical models described permit systematic analysis of the consequences of fuel treatment and fire control and projection of these consequences for the future.